WHY FASTING IN YOUR 40S IS A TERRIBLE IDEA
Jan 11, 2023![Why Fasting In Your 40s Is A Terrible Idea](https://kajabi-storefronts-production.kajabi-cdn.com/kajabi-storefronts-production/file-uploads/blogs/2147510459/images/144713a-2bd-b824-c58a-a3357de46ec7_Placeholder_Image_5_.png)
Have you been told that skipping meals is the key to weight loss, energy, and fixing basically every problem you’ve ever had? While it’s being pushed as the ‘miracle cure’ for all ills, fasting in your 40s can cause more problems that it solves.
Let’s take a look at why women in their 40s need to skip the meal skipping approach.
WHY I DON'T RECOMMEND FASTING IN YOUR 40s
I speak with women all the time who skip breakfast or just have coffee/tea as ‘breakfast’. And let me tell you, this is a guaranteed way to set yourself up for exhaustion, stress, and weight gain!
One of the more recent diet trends is intermittent fasting (IF). And sure, there is early research that supports benefits in some populations. But when you’re looking at the average woman in her 40s, we’re looking at someone who:
- Is busy and stressed out
- May already be depleted in vital nutrients for energy production
- Is undergoing perimenopause, or is at least in the leadup to it
- Could have underlying issues popping up already including insulin resistance and thyroid dysfunction
So to put it simply, your body is not in the right space right now for you to add even more to that already full plate!
Much like traditional calorie restriction, there’s a domino effect when you skip meals. It goes a little something like:
- You skip a meal or just have coffee
- This puts your body into a sympathetic state (stress mode)
- This state increases your blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to more fat storage AND reduced ability to use those fat stores
- As a result, you start to develop insulin resistance, which means you’ll crave carbs and sugar 24/7
- The extra stress can also deplete progesterone, which feeds into a host of other perimenopause-related symptoms
And if that wasn’t enough, the restrictive nature of fasting can feed into binge eating, emotional eating, disordered eating patterns… aka all the things that we don’t want when trying to stay happy and healthy!
ANOTHER NOTE ON COFFE FOR BREAKFAST
No judgement – I learned this one the hard way myself. In fact, I did this for WAY too many years. I thought I was fasting, and that meant I was keeping my insulin levels & fat storage down. Well, I was very wrong (learn a bit more about the starting part of my journey here)
Coffee (yes, even black) stimulates a digestive response. That means it will impact your blood glucose & insulin levels, which puts you into fat storage mode. And of course, if you’re drinking that black coffee on an empty stomach and then not eating for hours afterwards? You put a massive strain on your adrenals and nervous system, pump up the cortisol and stick yourself into that same stress mode we just went over.
Don’t even get me started on coffee with sweeteners, syrups, whatever you add to it… long story short, coffee should never be on an empty stomach and should come AFTER a nourishing meal!
WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?
Now you know that fasting in your 40s is a no-go if you want energy, calm, weight loss/maintenance… what can you do instead?
I’m glad you asked! What we want to do is start the day off with a balanced breakfast. A balanced brekkie not only keeps the hangries away, but it also sets you up for steady energy levels, fewer cravings and happy hormone balance.
The easiest way to get started is to download my FREE Balanced Meal Formula here.
For an extra dose of inspiration, you can find 5 easy breakfast recipes for busy mums here.
I want to make it very clear – weight loss might seem impossible in your 40s and beyond, but it doesn’t have to be! By taking a holistic and tailored approach, we can help you to not only look like a million bucks, but also feel amazing in your body.
Book in for a free discovery call today, and we can explore how I can help you reboot your body and feel good again.
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